Search

August 13, 2006

A Poet in The Clouds

The Sydney Biennale gave The Poet an opportunity to float in the clouds. On the gallery wall to his right is a work of art by a New Zealand artist. It consists of hundreds of small canvases arranged in the in the form of clouds. Each canvas has words from the New Zealand dictionary written on it in siver paint. As you walk along the wall the writing seems to fade in and out. The theme of the Biennale is 'zones of contact'. This artist is depicting the contact between the Maori and European cultures in the words. The wall that holds the painting is seen as a point of contact. The clouds are a symbol of a number of things including the land of the long white cloud ... New Zealand.

The Buddha

I took The Poet to the Art Gallery of NSW today. I got the parking right this time and found that the door into the gallery just near the parking spot opens right near the cafe. Great stuff for breakfast. Even better, when I checked with the Art Gallery Society Office about the non-appearance of our gallery membership cards, we discovered the members' lounge which is like an airline business class lounge with an art library.

Even though we have been coming here for years and have been members for 3 or four years, it was the first time we have taken one of the free guided talks, two in fact. It was well worth it, making us focus on aspects of particular paintings. The second tour was in one of the current exhibitions, Zen Mind Zen Brush. Fabulous objects and a great talk by the guide.

June 18, 2006

Dartmoor sunset

From the high places on Dartmoor you can see forever, no matter what the time of the day. Sunset in December comes early so you need to be sure that you are not too far from home and we weren't here.

This is the evening that Dianna and I walked to see the stone row in the previous entry. The walk is not very long as the row is just above the house so coming home did not take very long. The path is a bit rough, though, and it is important that you watch where you are putting your feet. Sturdy shoes are a must for ankle support and to make sure that the mud stays on the path and not on your socks.

By the time we reached home the air was freezing cold so the warmth of the house was very welcome.

June 17, 2006

Dartmoor stone row

I have some sort of mystic connection to Dartmoor. My grandmother's father was from Newton Abbott and his ancestors farmed all around the edges of the moor. When I go onto Dartmoor I have the feeling that I have come home, at last, even though I was born half a world away.

Another of the ancient treasures that I was shown during our stay at Headland Warren Farm was this stone avenue that is on the crest of a hill just above the farm house. The walk up the hill is well worth the small effort, to see, not only the twin rows of stone and their headstone, but also the magnificent view which stretches out across the moorland toward the sea.

I am sure that if I lived here I would be much fitter and definitely a lot slimmer than I am now.